Vegan Holiday Recipe: Sausage & Rice Dressing (Gluten Free Stuffing)

Vegan sausage crumbles, mushrooms, onions, garlic, bell pepper, quinoa, brown rice, cranberries and all the right herbs create a remarkable flavor sensation. Get ready for a party in your mouth! ​

Not only that, it is a healthy balanced meal all in spot or a gorgeous side with any holiday meal this season.  We enjoyed it as is, as a side with a nice meal, over salad, stuffed in poblano peppers and I even put some in the base of muffin cups, poured a chickpea omelet mixture over the top and baked them for 20-30 min and all were so so good! You are going to love this foolproof recipe this season!!! Make it with me.

RICE

• 3 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 1 Bundle Fresh Parsley - Chopped
• 1 Cup Brown Rice
• 1/2 Cup Quinoa 

Vegan Sausage Dressing

• 1 1/2 Cups Vegan Morning Sausage Crumbles (I used 1 1/2 batches of my recipe)
• 1 Onion - Chopped
• 8 oz Oyster Mushrooms - Sliced in Thin Long Strips
• 2 Small or 1 Large Red Bell Pepper - Chopped
• 4 Small or 2 Large Cloves Garlic - Minced
• 1 Tbsp Dried Sage 
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary (I crushed mine)
• 1/2 Nutmeg - Ground Fresh or dash of ground
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Paprika
• Zest of a Mandarin Orange
• 2/3 Cup Cranberries
• 1/4 - 1/2 Cup Vegetable Broth for Cooking

Peaceful Preparation:

1. Place the rice ingredients in your rice cooker, press cook. Or bring broth to a boil, add rice, cook covered for 30 minutes, drain excess, reserve for sautéing, place back in the pot, cover it and set for 10 minutes, then fluff. Feel free to add extra water or broth when boiling.
2. Meanwhile, take your "sausage crumbles" and brown them in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, browning on all sides. Break up the crumbles with a wooden spoon and set aside. I did add about 1 tbsp coconut oil but you could omit this and use a non-stick pan. 
3. In the same skillet, add the onions with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, adding a tbsp of broth at a time as needed. 
4. Add the bell pepper, pinch of salt and pepper and take it for 3-5 minutes, adding a tbsp of broth at a time as needed along the way.  Add the mushrooms a touch more broth if needed, cook 8 minutes. Add garlic, nutmeg, all your herbs and spices including the zest of a mandarin or orange, 3 to 4 times across your microplane. Mix that to combine, add in the vegan sausage crumbles to heat throughout. 
5. In a large bowl, pour in your rice, your sausage dressing, add the cranberries, fold to evenly distribute. Place in a serving dish and you are done!

Eat as a meal, serve as a side, stuff it in a pepper or mushroom or in any way you desire! Most of all, enjoy!!

From my kitchen to yours, Happy Holidays!
Christa 


TIPS: 
Replace dried herbs with fresh ones for more flavor, triple it with fresh.
Use any mushroom, omit if you don't like them. 
Omit what you don't like, add what you do like.